motorcycle jacks

[dgeoughea]

Hey guys, I was just wondering what to look for/avoid in a motorcycle jack if I get one? What should I expect in terms of cost? I've been thinking about this, and I just happened to see one new, in the box for 100 bucks in the paper, but no other details...

[CatatonicBug]

They're all pretty much the same. I got mine for free from my neighbor, but new ones usually run about $100. I see them on CL every once in a while for $40 or so. The problem is that our bikes' low point is the pipes. The jack actually uses them to lift the bike. It works, but might not be the best way to do it. Bigfoot had mentioned an idea to me about welding a custom support bracket for one that will hold the perfect spots on the XS. Hasn't been done yet, but might be worth it if you have the tools and some extra metal stock laying around. You just have to be careful and find the center of gravity as you're lifting, or the bike will rock forward/back on you. Also, once you find the center of gravity, be careful when removing things like the wheels, because those heavy items way out on the ends really play with the balance! DAMHIK

[fredintoon]

Go look at it

Hey guys, I was just wondering what to look for/avoid in a motorcycle jack if I get one? What should I expect in terms of cost? I've been thinking about this, and I just happened to see one new, in the box for 100 bucks in the paper, but no other details...

Hi Joey,
if it's one of those small sideways-lifting units that lift the bike under the frame, or like the 'Bug sez, by the exhaust pipes, they sell new for about that price.
OTOH, if it's the longer, drive-on unit that lifts the whole damn bike by the wheels, give the man your C-note and be happy, those suckers can't be bought new for less than $300.

[CatatonicBug]

Yeah... That's the difference between a bike "Jack" and a bike "Lift". The Jacks can be stored under the work bench in the garage, while the Lift takes up half the garage, permanently. Definitely much nicer, if you have the cash and the room.

[dgeoughea]

I'd been wondering about the pipes being the low point. Does that not cause any stability issues with the bike on the jack? Mine go to one side, so am I just SOL.

[Ivan]

Go to autozone and pick up a small pair of jack stands. slide one under the frame on the side of the kickstand and then push the bike from the other side and slide the other jack stand in. From there you can work it side to side as high as you want. It is really not that hard since you are not tipping it that far.

I think I got a set of Goodwrench branded stands for $15, and they don't mess up the pipes.

[fredintoon]

What room?

Yeah... That's the difference between a bike "Jack" and a bike "Lift". The Jacks can be stored under the work bench in the garage, while the Lift takes up half the garage, permanently. Definitely much nicer, if you have the cash and the room.

Hi 'Bug,
it's still worth Joey taking a look, the seller may not know the difference?
BTW, one downside to sidecar ownership is that you need a lift AND a jack to get one lifted up to work on it.
But how much room does a lift take up anyway? The ones I lust after are only about 5" tall when they are fully down. A bike can be parked on one and a car or a rig can be parked astride one. Also makes a handy extra workbench at need. The damnfool that trips over one should remember that it's there, eh?

[fredintoon]

I must be losing it?

Go to autozone and pick up a small pair of jack stands. slide one under the frame on the side of the kickstand and then push the bike from the other side and slide the other jack stand in. From there you can work it side to side as high as you want. It is really not that hard since you are not tipping it that far.

Hi Ivan,
and I have 3 pairs of jackstands that have accumulated over the years (well 2½ pairs since my idiot eldest son managed to crush one by dropping his car on it) so how come I never thought of doing that to work on my solo bikes? Thanks for the idea.

[CatatonicBug]

I'd been wondering about the pipes being the low point. Does that not cause any stability issues with the bike on the jack? Mine go to one side, so am I just SOL.

With mine, I don't have a center stand, so I usually just use the CS pivot points as the rear lift point. The front just lifts below the heat shield on the pipes. The pipes seem to be plenty secure for most work. I've never had a problem with them moving on me.

Go to autozone and pick up a small pair of jack stands. slide one under the frame on the side of the kickstand and then push the bike from the other side and slide the other jack stand in. From there you can work it side to side as high as you want. It is really not that hard since you are not tipping it that far.

I think I got a set of Goodwrench branded stands for $15, and they don't mess up the pipes.

For the life of me, I can't figure out how this is done without dropping the bike. You need at least 3 (preferably 4) points of contact to keep the bike balanced in the air and keep both wheels off the ground. How is a single set of jack stands supposed to do that? Besides the fact that I have never seen a set of jack stands that is short enough to fit under the frame of the bike. Mine don't even fit under the axle of my CAR unless I lift it to full extension on my car jack. And that's on the shortest setting!

All this on top of the fact that it takes 2 hands to hold the bike and keep it from falling over, and there is no way to pull the pin on the jack stand, lift the jack stand and replace the pin, unless I had 2 extra hands. Even the kind that does not use a pin requires one extra hand to grab the top of the stand and lift it up.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Dgeoughea,

You might check Harbor Freight out. I know they sell the lifts for $299.
They probably sell the jacks as well.

[latexeses]

Harbor Freight has two for sale right now. One nicely built aluminium jack for about a buck thirty and a steel version for seventy five or so. I've looked at both. Like the looks of the aluminium jack...

[xs11jack]

There used to be

a outfit called Cummins tools that sold me one for $49.99. I think they have changed thier name to Worldwide something or other. Maybe google Cummins tools. I used mine to life and work on a full dress 85 Gold Wing. before I started work, I put a nylon strap from one side of the lift, up across the bike and down to the other side of the lift. It was very stable. For the XS, I made a spacer that sits on the lift and fits between the pipes and rests on the oilpan and the cross piece of the centerstand. I use a strap on the XS too, just in case.
Jack